


Detour

by AudibleEllipsis



Series: Already Found [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And So Is Spinel, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Steven Universe: The Movie Spoilers, Steven is Shaped Like a Friend, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-20 15:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20677994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AudibleEllipsis/pseuds/AudibleEllipsis
Summary: After a Homeworld ship came crashing down to Earth, the other Crystal Gems got poofed, and some haunting words from a trapped friend, Steven finds himself wanting to talk to his mom again. But, one warp to the wrong garden later, and Steven's life is forever changed.AU in which Steven finds Spinel early and brings her home. Takes place between "Joy Ride" and "Love Letters".





	1. Chapter 1

Steven had never been fantastically concerned about what the past, future, or present would bring him. Taking every day as it came made it easier to treat every day like it was special; and it was! But lately, he couldn’t help being worried about what might happen next. Whenever he asked Garnet to look into the future for him, she would only adjust her shades and say “Nothing you can’t handle” with a confident smile. He wanted to believe her, but it was hard.

After enemies from Homeworld came crashing down to Beach City, poofed the other Crystal Gems, took him hostage, the way Lapis talked (the way he didn’t keep his promise) and, well, everything else that he hadn’t even really had time to think about, he was… scared.

For how much everyone talked about the past, there was so much of it he wasn’t allowed to know. At first it didn’t matter, he was just happy to finally be a part of the missions. But after a while, it _did_ matter. After the other day, he could sorta see why they might not wanna talk about it, but even if the truth was scary, he at least wanted the _chance_ to face it head on.

Garnet had always said something like that, about truth and honesty and love, but he’d never really understood what it meant until Connie forced him to talk with her face-to-face about what had happened. She was a really good friend, and he wanted the chance to be that for Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst too. Sometimes, it just felt like they didn’t want that for him.

Steven slumped in his seat on the couch. Even before discovering Lapis, he’d spent a lot of time thinking about the possibility of other, uncorrupted gems still being out there. The world was so big, and his adventures with the Crystal Gems and all the magical stuff he’d seen made him think there was no _way_ they’d seen everything. He wanted to be there for those gems like he wanted to be there for Lapis, but how could he if he never even knew about them?

He almost never knew about Lapis. If he’d given up the mirror just a little sooner, or if he hadn’t figured out what to do… Well, he didn’t want to think about it. He was just happy she was free.

_Sort of._

Steven shook his head and got up from the couch. Sitting around wasn’t going to get him anywhere.

Pearl was the only gem home right now, humming as she washed the dishes. Amethyst was out doing “nothing” with nineteen bags of chips (she saved one for him), a box of scrap-metal, and a gallon jug of glue, while Garnet was out looking for other warp pads that might not have been disabled yet. Steven walked into the kitchen, grabbed the step-stool, and climbed it to get the last bag of Chaaaaps in the pantry.

Pearl looked up from her work, apparently not having noticed him until now.

“Oh, Steven!” Her voice was pleasant, smile easy. “When Garnet and Amethyst return, perhaps we could play more of that ‘board game’ you showed us?” It was an unusual suggestion, coming from Pearl, but he was glad to hear it anyways.

“Hm, maybe later.” Steven hummed, climbing down the steps. “I think I’m gonna go out for a bit.”

“Oh.” Her smile waned, but he couldn’t guess why. “Well, promise you’ll be careful, okay? There’s still a lot of broken glass out there, and I’d hate to see you hurt.”

“Heh, I promise.” Steven reassured, then walked over to the warp pad. Apparently, that was not what Pearl had expected.

“Um, Steven, wouldn’t you rather tour Beach City instead?” Her smile was forced now, moving closer, the faucet left on. “I’m sure there are plenty of people who could use your help, and I’m sure all of them would be happy to have it!”

“Maybe later.” Steven repeated absently, starting to think about where he wanted to go.

Lately, he’d taken to visiting Rose’s Garden when he was thinking about her. It helped to have someone to talk to and sort things out with, even if it was just a statue.

“Well, at least let me help you get to where you’re going.” Pearl stepped onto the pad. “I… I know you can do it on your own now, but sometimes it can be tricky to get right, and--”

“I just want to be alone for a while.” Steven interrupted, smile dipping. “I’m… going to visit mom for a bit.”

Pearl looked away, a hand to her mouth. It looked like she was thinking about something, but when she turned again, her eyes were warm, and just a little wet. She pulled him into a hug and held on tight. “Just, be safe, okay? We love you.”

“Haha, I know that!” Steven returned the hug, smiling automatically. It was impossible not to. “I’ll be fine.” He said, and hoped it wasn’t a lie.

Pearl broke away, her smile soft, and much realer now. “I know.” Slowly, she backed away from the pad. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

Steven nodded, and spread his arms to focus. There was a pleasant _‘shing’_ and Pearl disappeared from sight. As the light lifted him, he could feel weight disappearing. It was strange, the way the warp felt. Like floating, but not quite. It made it hard to adjust when gravity came back, but he did his best to prepared for the dismount anyways.

Only, the dismount never came. He was still traveling.

Steven blinked, and waited a little longer. Still nothing. After a deep breath, he dared to poke his head out from the beam. When he looked around, Earth was nowhere to be seen. Not even as a pale blue dot. He looked for a constellation, but didn’t recognize any. A spike of panic hit, and he ducked his head back inside.

“Am I… going to Homeworld?” He looked instinctively to the gem exposed on his belly. Suddenly, he felt very heavy. “No way! Garnet broke all of those, didn’t she? So, where the heck am I gooiiiiing!?”

The light faded only a moment later. Steven landed with an unceremonious ‘oof’ and rose quickly. When he thought of Homeworld, he thought about shiny metal and weird gems with weird weapons. But the place around him was about as far from that as possible. He was in a garden, alright, but it definitely wasn’t his mom’s, and it wasn’t very alive, either.

“Maybe I’m… not on Homeworld?”

From atop a plateau of pink stone, Steven could see everything. Anywhere where the stone hadn’t been touched yet, it was cracked, or grown over with moss, or had massive roots breaking through. At first, he thought it had to be night time wherever he was, but when he looked up, that obviously wasn’t the case. Around everything was a sorta-clear bubble, like the ones that kept water out of the underwater temples. The sky was filled with planets he didn’t recognize, a broken moon, and maybe more stars than he’d ever seen in his life.

“Woah…”

Fear forgotten, Steven moved down the steps. He marveled at the floating columns, chipped and broken, but still hovering. The way the vines and flowers grew, petals scattered. The fountain, no less impressive for not working. And, probably his favorite part, the short, pink, eyes-closed statue with a crystal heart. It was sort of faded looking, a little chipped in some places, but just as weirdly pretty as the rest of the-- _Wait, did its mouth just move?_

“Nine-thousand-nine-hundred-ninety-_two_, nine-thousand-nine-hundred-ninety-_three~_”

Steven blanched, and quickly hid behind the fountain.

_A gem! Another, real-life, actual, not-corrupted gem! But, is she more like Jasper, or like Lapis?_

“Ten thousand!” The gem declared, laughing shakily to herself. “That makes thirty! Haha, maybe I’ll hit the record today. Sixty thousand, here I come!” There was a silent pause. It stretched for so long that Steven began to worry he’d been found, but it only ended with a sigh, as the gem began to count from one.

_Like Lapis_, he decided right then. Steven stepped out from behind the fountain, put on his best smile, and waved.

“Hi, my name’s--”

“Pink!” She interrupted, eyes shooting open. Her smile, wider than he’d ever seen on anyone, broke instantly. It sort of hurt, even if he didn’t think it was his fault. “Oh...”

“Uh, I guess I’m pink?” Steven looked himself over. “But, no, my name’s Steven. What’s yours?”

“... Spinel.” She looked down to her meshed hands in frustration. “I, uh, can’t salute right now, but, you’re part of Pink’s court, right?” His eyes narrowed in confusion. Spinel flashed a nervous smile. “What’s that look for?”

Steven stuck a hand in his hair, apologetic. “I-I’m sorry, I guess I don’t know who this ‘Pink’ is? Maybe you could help me out.”

“Y-You know?” Her smile became as shaky as her voice. “Pink-- Pink Diamond! She’s s-sort of small, very bright? Has a _great_ smile?”

A ‘diamond’. That sounded familiar, sorta. Jasper said something about a diamond, didn’t she? Or, no, maybe that was Peridot. What color did they say again? He blinked, and realized she was staring at him pretty hard.

“Uh, no, I guess I don’t really know a ‘Pink Diamond’. Sorry.” Her expression became distraught. “I mean, if it’s any consolation, I pretty much only know like, eight gems total. Or, maybe nine now?” He hadn’t really _met them_ met them, but Ruby and Sapphire definitely counted as their own gems. “Oh, ten, if I’m counting you!”

“Only know--” Her mouth hung open. “How’s that… possible? What, happened? What happened to Earth? Do you know Earth?” Spinel added, quietly. “Please…”

“Earth.” He smiled. Then paused. Considering what happened last time, was it smart to say anything? Wondering gave him time to look down, and notice the roots growing over and around her legs. His eyes shrank. “How, long have you _been_ here?”

“Oh, only six-thousand, one hundred years, fourteen days, nineteen hours, three minutes, twenty seconds and counting!” Spinel laughed. He laughed too, nervously. If Pearl had told him the truth, that meant Spinel wasn’t even part of the war. _Maybe she doesn’t even **know** there was a war…_

“Hey, why don’t you come with me?” Steven stepped back, offering a hand. “I know someone _super_ smart who can do a way better job of answering your questions.”

Spinel looked to the hand, and for the first time he could remember, shifted. But her hands stayed together, and she only frowned. “I… can’t.”

“Well, why not?” He did his best to be encouraging.

“Because… I have to wait.”

“Wait for what?”

“Pink Diamond.” She looked down again, eyes a little smaller. “I have to… stand very still. She’ll be back soon.” He wondered if those roots hurt, and did his best not to frown.

“Well, hey, don’t worry about it! It’ll be a little harder to bring Pearl _here_, but…” He found it hard to make the promise. What if he failed again? What if Pearl couldn’t be convinced? Or worse, what if she wanted to hurt Spinel instead? But, when Spinel’s eyes met his, and _she_ looked away, like _she_ was the one who had to apologize, the words came automatically. “I’ll be back for you!” He forced himself to say it. “I promise.”

To that, she said nothing. He took a step back, and a strangled noise came from the back of her throat. “No, wait, wait. Please. Can’t you… Stay a little longer? At least… for a few hours?”

Steven thought on that for a minute. He really wanted to get her moving. Getting Pearl to come here would be easy, but convincing her to _stay_ would be harder. Suddenly, he had an idea. “Okay, sure, but, if I’m gonna be here for a while, let’s play some games.”

“Games?” She smiled, tearing up.

“Yeah, games!” He returned the smile, even if he wasn’t totally sure it was a happy one. “Like, have you ever played I Spy?”

“Never heard of it.”

“Okay, it’s _super_ simple.” He looked around, and spotted some pale-white flowers. “I say ‘I spy with my little eye, something white!’ And then, you try to guess what I was looking at.”

Spinel looked as well, humming. “The white part in the fountain?”

“Nope!”

“Oh.” She seemed disappointed. “Guess I lose, huh?”

“No way!” Steven grinned. “You get to keep playing until you win! So just keep guessing.”

“Oh…” Spinel’s smile split wider. “Is it the stars?”

“Nope~”

She was excited now. “Is it the walls out there? The little details on the temple? Oh, oh, is it me!?”

“Haha, no! But that would’ve been pretty smart. Come on, you can do it!”

“Oh, is it… Is it the flowers?”

“Yeah!” He pumped a fist. “You did it! You won!”

“I… won?” She started to laugh. “I won!” It was like a dam had burst open. Her laughter came in peals, and bounced off all the empty space. It was loud, and free, and contagious. But when it died down, her expression became somber again. “... Those flowers used to be pink, you know?” He hesitated to say something, but she smiled again all on her own. “It’s been a looong time since I played a good game. What’s next?”

Steven was happy to hear her enthusiasm. “Next it’s your turn, but before that, why don’t we celebrate?”

“Celebrate?”

“Yeah!” He raised a hand, palm out. “It’s called a high-five. You know what that is?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“It’s when two people clap their hands together.” He clapped his own together to demonstrate. “Like that! It means, ‘nice job!’”

She looked to her hands, still meshed, and slowly, slowly, peeled them apart. Her hand raised, and met his. It wasn’t exactly a clap, and her hand sorta lingered, but it was a good step. Every achievement, no matter how small, was worth celebrating.

“Awesome!” Steven praised. “Okay, now it’s your turn.”

Spinel looked to her hands one more time, like she’d only just realized they were hers. “My turn, huh?” She smiled, wider, realer, and brought a hand to her eye, the other closed. Her hand morphed and expanded, without the tell-tale glow of shape-shifting he was used to, until it became a comically long pink spyglass. Steven gasped, stars in his eyes, as Spinel turned it on him, one bright eye blinking through the tube. “I spy, with my little eye, something pink and cute!”

“Is it me?” Steven laughed.

“Ya got it in one!”

They both laughed. Through a few tears, Steven managed to continue the game. “Okay, okay. I spy, with my little eye, something black!”

“Something black?” Spinel looked around, to the dead vines and all the roots tearing through the place. Not quite black, she seemed to decide, and looked up. “Space, right?”

“Yeah!” Steven declared. “Out there, somewhere, my friends are waiting for me to get back. I can bring them here, but it’ll be easier if you come with me.” He offered his hand again. “What do you say?”

At first, she said nothing. Only stared. But her smile, which hadn’t disappeared yet, quivered. “I say…”

There was a tearing sound as her feet lifted. The brittle, soft snap of the vines as they came undone around her. And then, a brilliant flash of light. Pure white, shining brighter than the stars. Her entire form retreated into her gem mid-step, and came down before the next. She wasn’t dirty any more. Not bruised, or scraped, or dull. She was bright, maybe a little darker in color than she’d been originally, but not by much. Everything about her was a little sharper, her shoes a little taller, her shoulder-pads sorta long instead of poofy. And her hair, once two heart-shaped buns, was now one long, poofy pony-tail that curled in at the end, pulled back tight, but bouncing with every step. The entire process was instant, in a way he’d never seen, and maybe never would again.

“I say… Thank you, Steven.” And her big gloved hand met his.

And the pair walked off.

When they reached the top, Spinel stared out to the garden, pensive. Steven squeezed her hand a little, and she looked down to him with a fond smile, humming a tune.

"_Some day. Somewhere. Somehow. I already feel… found._"

The warp pad _‘shing’_d, and they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently my notes at the end of the chapter here got deleted (oops), so, I'll do my best to reiterate what I said:
> 
> There's something to be said about this not being how the warp pads work, but maybe it's possible Blue had enough foresight and care to make sure the warp pads on Earth could connect to Pink's garden _just in case_. Not like any of the gems would know.
> 
> Thank you so much for the outpouring of lovely comments and support! I promise that I read each and every one. And thank you for all the suggestions. I'm always open to ideas, a lot of these were quite good.
> 
> Edit: I GOT FANART?? Y'all, I'm _livin_. Beth, who is a very cool artist, made the art featured above, and you can see it in full resolution [here](https://bethkerring.tumblr.com/post/619299163069448192/oh-look-here-i-go-with-more-steven-universe). Throw love her way, she does good stuff! Thanks again for the art <3<3


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Garnet joins the list of things shaped like a friend.

Warping was a feeling Spinel had nearly forgotten about entirely. Her gangly, stretchy limbs always felt _extra_ stretchy while floating along. The sensation was freeing, made even more potent by the small gem next to her. In a lot of ways, she couldn’t help being reminded of Pink when she looked at him. Only, his smile didn’t fade when her eyes drifted his way.

Some part of her was terrified to be leaving the garden. Any second now, she’d see another beam nearby. It’d be Pink, returning the moment she lost the game to scold her for not playing along right. Maybe it was all an elaborate set-up. The thought felt sour, for more than one reason. Sometimes, she hoped something bad had happened. Something bad enough to keep a Diamond away for so long. That felt sour too.

For now, though, Steven’s palm was in hers, squeezing gently. She’d played a game, and even got to win. That felt good. Better than good. Her throat felt scratchy when she laughed. The one thing she was made for, and Spinel hadn’t had the chance to do it in six thousand years.

“So, what’s Earth like, anyways?” Spinel asked, winding down.

Steven scratched the top of his head with a free hand. “Oh, wow, that’s a really good question. I guess, if I had to say, I’d kinda…” He hummed. “It’s sorta--”

The light faded. Spinel landed perfectly (with a small squeak), but Steven buckled forward, completely caught off guard. Her arms stretched out and around him instantly, holding the small gem up.

“Surprise!” A chorus of voices greeted her, followed by several gasps.

Spinel took everything in as fast as she could, and she had to be awfully fast. Around her was some sort of tall wooden structure. Like a big, weirdly shaped box, with windows and wooden beams and a bunch of small doors. Her immediate area was all stone, the warp pad small and low to the ground. In front of her were three gems. A pearl, obviously, some sort of tall, maroon fusion, and a short, stubby little purple gem. In the pearl’s arms (was that the 'Pearl' Steven mentioned?), was a round, short, bright blue, cylinder thing on a big saucer with candles sticking out. It fell to the ground with a splat and a clatter as, almost immediately, the gem leapt at her, faster than she’d ever seen one move.

“Steven!” The white pearl exclaimed as Spinel untangled herself and sprang away, landing on the counter-top in the area with all the small doors.

“Oh, are we playing tag?” Spinel giggled. The purple gem grunted as she reached for her gem and materialized a long, studded whip. It lashed out at her, but she only jumped over it. There was a clatter as some more saucers and a potted plant were knocked to the floor. Spinel, however, was in the air, her stretchy arms reaching out and wrapping around the beams, pulling her high. She swung with practiced, careful, total wild abandon. Moving felt _good_. “Oh, Steven, you should’ve told me your friends would wanna play too!”

“I didn’t--” Steven gasped, then gained a serious expression. “Watch out!”

Spinel turned back just in time to see the fusion leap from below, letting out a cry as gauntlets formed around their fists. With surprising speed and force both, the two-in-one package aimed for an uppercut. _All in the timing_, Spinel thought, as she swung back, avoiding it. But the glee of outsmarting her would-be-tagger was cut short when the fusion’s momentum only continued, breaking through the beam she’d braced herself on. Now falling, the maroon fusion wasted no time punching downward, sending Spinel to the floor with a rubbery _‘thwap’_.

“Geez, kinda aggressive, don’tcha think?” She chuckled to herself. “Don’t care much about making more work for your pearl, eh?” Spinel started to push off the floor, arms bent backward, ready to spring again, but suddenly there was a spear in her face, wielded by the pearl, of all people. She grinned. “I think I _like_ this version of tag.”

“Ugh, this _isn’t_ a game!” The pearl hissed. _Sheesh, they always take things too seriously..._

Steven finally managed to get both metaphorical and literal feet back under him as he called the whole thing to order. “Everyone stop!”

The procession of determined faces all turned to the smallest gem.

“Phew!” Steven wiped a hand across his forehead. “Listen, Spinel isn’t the enemy. I found her by accident, and she needs our help.”

“Dude,” The purple one began. “She had her weird, stretchy arms all over you. You sure she wasn’t trying to hurt you?” Spinel took offense to the idea that her arms were weird, let alone that she’d hurt someone with them. She was made for fun! And… she wasn’t weird, right?

“One hundred percent.” Steven reaffirmed, walking over. His presence parted the group, and he offered her a hand. The weapons retreated, and even though she didn’t need it, Spinel took his hand. _Guess he’s the leader around here, eh?_

“I don’t really get it,” Spinel offered, free arm stretching out and looping around to scratch her head. “But, looks like we got off on the wrong foot.” She did a showman’s bow. “Heya, my name’s Spinel! Pleased to meetcha.”

_Oooh_, that felt good too. Saying her name again. Stretching, smiling, putting on a show. Meeting these people was already loads of fun!

At first, none of them said anything. There was time to look them over a little more now, and time for her to be looked over by them. The short purple one seemed unsure, but there was something else there. Her stance was the most relaxed out of all of them, hand on one hip, but she looked sorta… pouty, somehow. The fusion’s arms were crossed, expression like a brick wall. Her glasses were about as hard to see through as one, so Spinel had no idea what they were thinking, but the maroon gem was very tall, and hopefully not so intimidating on purpose (not that she was scared, of course).

Last of them was the pearl. She was tall, white, poised, and had eyes like a hawk. Every part of her was a little sharp, especially her nose, which sorta made Spinel want to laugh. As an entertainment gem, she’d been made to read crowds, but touring with Pink, her focus was never on the background characters, ‘specially not the pearls. It wasn’t like she had anything against them, per-say, just that they were sorta like her, only the opposite. Both of them had jobs to do, and the best thing they could do for one another was stay out of the way. Still, in those wide, worried eyes, Spinel could swear she saw _recognition_. Maybe it was nothing, but right now she would take anything.

Finally, after adjusting her shades, it was the maroon fusion who broke the silence.

“We apologize.” Their tone was commanding and even.

“We _do_!?” The other two squawked.

“Yes.” The fusion answered. “We do. Steven trusts her, and he’ll have his reasons. First, we should hear Spinel out.”

“Garnet…!” Steven uttered, stars in his eyes.

“Uh, could I maybe get some names first, please?” Spinel grinned sheepishly. “I know what _you_ are,” She stretched a pointed finger the pearl’s way (who looked _very_ alarmed), then to the other two in succession. “But you, and you, I’ve got nothing. Are you Earth gems?”

“My name is Garnet.” The tall fusion introduced herself. Spinel waited for more, but the short one spoke instead.

“Sup, my name’s Amethyst.” She threw out a casual wave. “Earth born and raised.”

“And I’m… Pearl.” _Pearl_ introduced herself slowly. How odd. _Just_ Pearl? She was used to pearls wanting something else in front. ‘White’ Pearl, ‘Blue’ Pearl, ‘Peach’ Pearl, etcetera. It was a wonder who she belonged to.

“Great!” Steven declared. “Everyone’s getting along.” He gestured to her. “Spinel was stuck somewhere for six _thousand_ years, so, she probably doesn’t know a lot about everything that’s happened. You were waiting for someone, too, right?”

“Yeah!” She grinned at the encouragement, but immediately crumpled and sputtered under the tidal wave of uncertain emotions that followed. “I was… Waiting for Pink Diamond.”

At that, the fusion scowled, the purple one looked away with a frown, and the pearl looked about ready to shatter. Steven was the only one that seemed to share in her confusion, and it didn’t take an expert in room reading to know that something was wrong.

The pearl-- No, _'Pearl'_, spoke first. “Garnet, I have to check on something. You can handle her, right?” Garnet nodded. Pearl’s words were as fast as she was, apparently, as the gem dashed past to the door behind them, just past the warp. A spine of the door’s star glowed and it sliced open. Somehow it wasn’t until that moment that she realized all these gems had stars on their forms.

“Steven, Amethyst.” Garnet spoke. “Pearl will need your help.”

Amethyst groaned, but walked past Steven anyways, muttering. “Ugh, _fine_. Waste of a perfectly good cake…”

Steven, however, did not turn. He stayed right where he was. “Pearl will be fine, right?” His voice was a little unsure, a little unsteady. _That_ made Spinel worry.

“Now’s _really_ not the time, dude.” Amethyst half-shouted. Her tone betrayed the solid look in her eyes. The purple gem grabbed ahold of Steven’s other arm.

“No!” Steven responded, pulling away.

“Steven, come _on_.” Amethyst hissed.

“Steven,” Garnet said, somehow just as even. “This isn’t like before.”

_Golly_, what a loaded sentence… Spinel let go of Steven’s hand and took a few steps back, gently winding her way to the warp pad. The squeak of her shoes gave up the game, but with any luck the nervous giggles that followed would be just enough to get by. People fighting over her just… wasn’t something she needed. She was hardly worth it to begin with.

“Spinel, wait!” Steven called. “Garnet, after what happened, I’m not leaving this room until I know what’s wrong. If you want me to leave, then…” There was fire in his eyes, there one second, then gone the next. “We’ve got to talk this out.”

There was a pause. No one moved. And then, Garnet sighed.

“Steven, I promise, there’s so much I want to tell you, but it will take time.” When she spoke, there was compassion. It wasn’t a lot, or maybe it was just too subtle, but even that tiny speck of something was enough to help Spinel feel a little more at ease. “You’re thoughtful, and you’re caring, but too much at once would only hurt you. Without context, without time to think, and learn, and heal, information can hurt people. Even us. That’s why I have to speak to Spinel alone. And…” She adjusted her shades. “Pearl really does need your help.”

The brief silence that followed didn’t feel so tense. Steven eased up. “You promise?” He asked again.

“I promise.” Garnet restated.

“... Alright.” Steven offered Spinel a hand, which she felt awkward for not wanting to take. “Spinel, we’ll catch up later, okay? I need to help someone else now, but I’ll be back.”

Suddenly there was a lump in her throat. She swallowed it down, a hand clutching the side of her head. “Yeah… I get it.” _There’s more important things_, a dark thought snaked. But, it wasn’t like that. Steven had made a promise. He was nice, and his smile was real… Right?

Steven’s eyes lingered, and passed one last time to Garnet before leaving through the door with Amethyst.

When Spinel looked back to the fusion, whose expression returned to total passivity, she felt cold, and doubt plagued every thought. Steven’s presence was doing more to keep it together than she’d realized. But, uncertain was better than alone. She just had to relax. Stay calm. Do her best to trust, even if it was scary. _Steven was just worried_, she repeated to herself.

“Come sit with me.” Garnet took a few steps back, and abruptly landed in a cross-legged position. Spinel followed, double-thinking even how far she should sit away. “Tell me what you know about Pink Diamond.”

Now _that_ was a topic she could talk about.

“Well, she’s the best!” Spinel beamed. “Her smile, her laugh, it’s the best! She’s really a lot of fun, I…” Her smile flickered for a moment. “She owns this planet, right? You must be pretty happy with, her around. She’s… She’s really sweet, isn’t she?”

Garnet did not comment. “You must have been close.”

“We were!” Spinel cupped her fingers to make a heart. “We were super best friends!”

“And then she left you.” The words struck harder than the fusion’s fists.

“She _didn’t_ abandon me!” Spinel shouted, bile rising. “We were _playing_ a game! She was going to come back. And, and you haven’t answered anything! Where’s Pink!? I-- I’ll talk to her myself. _She’ll_ tell me what happened!” Spinel rose, and so did Garnet. Again, the fusion adjusted her shades.

“Come with me, and I’ll tell you the whole story.” Not a single thing had inspired confidence so far, but those words shook Spinel the most.

“No!” Alarm gripped her. “Why not here!? Why not now!?” Something rose in her, dark and needy and loose and awful. _Could_ she hurt people? Would she, if something had happened? She was standing still, but everything felt coiled up, twisted, painful. And then, she heard Garnet’s voice.

“Because, there’s something I want to show you.”

It was soft. Not the fake, doting kind that Blue used on Pink, but the kind of soft that could only come from someone who really cared. Who really understood.

The kind that she used to hear from Pink every day.

Spinel nodded, a tear forming. Answers could wait just a little longer.

Garnet nodded as well, apparently satisfied, and walked out the screen door ahead. Spinel followed, and the sight was enough to rock her to the core. In the sky was every shade that red could be, a beautiful gradient receding with a setting star. Its heat tingled at the edges of her light, pleasant and warm. The breeze was nothing like that of the garden where she’d spent more than six thousand years waiting; it carried more than dirt and death. There was _life_. The smell of foam and salt and something else in the distance. Birds with long, thin wings squalled far away, small white frames gliding over the waves.

She wanted to get closer, to feel the water for herself. Luckily, it seemed the lapping shoreline was precisely where the fusion wanted to be. Spinel carried down the wooden steps quickly, and joined her.

“This is the ocean.” Garnet said simply. “It’s a part of the Earth.”

“It’s _beautiful_.” Spinel breathed.

The ocean was nothing like the controlled, unmoving water structures that Lapis gems were forced to hold for the upper echelons. Nothing like the raging whirlpools some kept as threats. It was soft, too. Uneven, strange, as it came back and forth, lapping at her ankles. The lumpy, white, grainy stuff she’d stepped across clung to her boots while wet. It filled in the diamond pattern on her heels, and felt strange, but not wrong, exactly.

“She really outdid herself this time.” Spinel thought aloud.

“I’m afraid not.” Garnet said, turning her head.

“Whaddya mean?”

“This isn’t Pink Diamond’s colony any more.”

“The Diamonds took it back?”

“Not quite.” Garnet began. “Spinel, let me tell you the story, of _Rose Quartz_.”

One of Garnet’s hands raised, and from it projected a large, flat circle, visual aids forming as she narrated. “More than six thousand years ago, Pink Diamond laid claim to her first ever colony. Earth. It was to be made perfect, like all other colonies. Stripped of its natural resources, and hollowed out to form as many gems as possible. Rose Quartz was just one of the hundreds of gems made for this purpose, and followed orders without question. But one day, she began to take notice of the life around her, and the strange scenery. At that time, she felt precisely what you did just now, staring out into the ocean.”

One of the funny-looking birds landed nearby and squawked indignantly as the tide brushed against its belly. Spinel giggled. Garnet continued.

“Rose Quartz’ curiosity became appreciation. Her appreciation, became fondness. And that fondness, became _love_. Rose believed in the value of the home she’d been made on, and as time passed, she began to speak openly more and more of her fondness, asking her fellow gems if _they_ had noticed the life around them, and what they made of it.”

“Everyone loved it, right?” Spinel said, smiling pleasantly.

“Many of them did.” Garnet answered. The tips of her lips twitched up, but for some reason, the fusion didn’t seem to want to smile. “Word of Rose’s activities spread so far, that eventually they even reached the ears of Pink Diamond herself.” Spinel grew serious. “Rose was summoned at once. When made to explain her actions, Rose pleaded with Pink Diamond. _‘My Diamond. It has come to my attention that your colony, Earth, bares life. While I know these organic life-forms serve **no** purpose, I ask that you leave this planet, and spare their lives.’_”

“And, that didn’t work.” Spinel spoke slowly. Garnet nodded. “For as long as I’ve been around, Pink wanted a colony. But she never got one, until…”

The words died in her.

Even the best juggling tricks she knew weren’t enough to console Pink on those days. Sometimes her Diamond was furious. Sometimes she was despondent. Either way, Pink came to _her_ for help, so she pulled out all the stops. Laughed and danced and played and joked until finally, _finally_ she was able to pull a smile from her _best friend_. Eventually, even she shared some of her Diamonds’ misgivings about the others, but those thoughts stayed inside. It wasn’t her place to be so serious. She had to be a rock for Pink, something silly and fun when she needed it. Maybe if she _had_ spoken up, though…

“But,” Spinel managed. “Pink loved organic life. She loved flowers and butterflies and hedges. She didn’t want to save any of it?”

“Not without cruelty.” Garnet answered. “When she dismissed Rose Quartz, she had already taken the trophies she cared to. Pink Diamond kidnapped humans, intelligent life much like Steven, from their families, their loved ones, and the homes they’d grown up in, just to be displayed for her amusement.”

“She… What?” It sounded fake. Steven was a gem, wasn’t he? But then, there was that beating sensation beneath his hands. Was _she_ like that? Over time, Pink’s gestures became less admiring. Her clapping less enthusiastic. Spinel had always taken that to mean she just had to try harder next time. But… Nervous worry coated her. “What happened next?”

“Rose could no longer stand aiding in the destruction of Earth. If she wanted to save the life she knew held value, she would have to fight.” Garnet’s projection showed Rose delivering a speech to a gathering of purple gems. “_‘Is this what you want? To inject? To build? I’ve seen a life that exists for itself. And it lives **here**! Will you destroy it? Or will you join it?’_ Rose’s message began to resonate, her feelings understood by many. Conflict became inevitable. But…”

Garnet took off her shades. All three eyes showed sympathy. 

“That was five thousand years ago.”

Spinel felt shattered.

“No!” She shouted. An arm flew, accusatory finger shaking. “How would you even know!? How can I--” Hot tears formed. “Why--” She stumbled back, tripping over herself. The water carried itself over her elbows, and she turned, unable to look at Garnet any more, left to stare into her own shallow reflection, and seethe, burning away inside. At what, she wasn’t sure. At who, she wasn’t sure. Only that a maelstrom had formed in her chest as it _heaved_ and her black eyes stared back, dark with something she refused to understand.

“Because, Spinel.” She felt a hand on her back. Saw the same solid trust and concern in Garnet’s reflected eyes that were in Steven’s earlier. “You already know the truth.”

Her hands dug into the wet sand beneath the water. Clenched tight, like her whole body was. Became larger fists which raised and slammed into the water while she shouted. “I was her _BEST FRIEND_. I was _there_ for her! I listened to every word, laughed at every joke, I-- I-- And she… For WHAT? For _this_? For the... ROCKS it was gonna be? To impress the _Diamonds_!? She _hated_ them. She _hated_ them, but _still_, she chose-- And then…” Her throat was raw. Voice cracked. Words became whispers. “... Why didn’t she come back for me?”

Garnet only stayed there. Rubbed smooth, reassuring circles against Spinel’s shuddering frame while she sobbed.

“A thousand… A thousand…” She couldn’t even finish the sentence. She sucked in a breath. “What happened next? What happened… next, I...” Pink lost the colony, but if it didn’t belong to the Diamonds, then something _terrible_ must have happened. “I need to know.”

Garnet waited a moment before speaking again. “Only if you’re certain.”

There was so much to think about. So many feelings she didn’t understand. The blank, tear-stained reflection below offered no answers. “... I don’t know.”

Garnet removed her hand. “Then it can wait. Sort things out for yourself. I’ll be here when you’re ready.” Spinel blinked, and the fusion was up, wearing her shades again. “I’m sure Steven will want to talk to you later. Be careful with him.”

Spinel said nothing, and Garnet’s steps faded.

The sun faded too. Spinel had taken a different position, chin tucked to her knees, staring out across the horizon. The tide only reached her boots now. There were stars here, too. Less, but it felt all the same just then. An endless, empty expanse, where her Diamond was supposed to be. Busy with something Spinel couldn’t understand. Something so important, that she’d never once considered coming back. Now she knew better. Pink wanted more than she could give, but she’d given everything all the same. More than everything. Her life, her time, her love. And it just, wasn’t good enough. She wasn’t a swath of rocks. Not a full court. Not the admiration of her Diamond peers. As angry as she was, it was all so cold, and bitter. It was a lump of coal in her throat. It was a clinging, ugly feeling that left her hunched and scared.

Distantly, she recognized the sound of steps.

“Spinel!” Steven.

She didn’t turn. It would take a moment to put on a decent smile.

“Spinel!” Steven said again, much closer now. Spinel turned with a smile even he seemed to know was just for show. “I figured it out.”

“Figured what out?” Passive, dazed. She barely recognized the lump of cloth in his hands.

“You asked me what Earth is like.” He clarified. “I figured it out. Earth is like… home.”

Her smile dipped. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He unfolded the cloth, a black and white checker-box pattern, and revealed a faded stuffed bear with shutter shades and a golden chain that read “MC”, passing both over. She took them gingerly in her big, gloved hands. “Home is… where you can be what you want to be, no matter what. Like, you probably don’t wanna be cold, so I brought you a blanket! And, you probably don’t wanna be alone, so I brought you a friend. The Earth’s got all kinds of stuff like this, made just to make life a little easier.”

He got out in front of her, and made big, dramatic motions with his hands. She watched, and felt a little warmer for it.

“And it’s not just literal stuff, you know? It’s like… The Earth is always changing. So, somewhere out there is the perfect place for you. There are leaves that change color, and-and _really_ tall mountains where you can see the whole world! And places where people put on shows, and dance and sing and play... just because they want to.” Steven took one edge of the cloth and pulled, wrapping it around her, tucking the bear against her neck. “My home, Beach City, doesn’t really have a lot in it. But the people here are really nice. And, I think you’d like it, so…” He wrapped his arms around her, and squeezed. “I hope you’ll wanna call it home too.”

“I…” The words in her were strangled. She felt something wet again at the corner of her eye, after she was so convinced she’d cried all her tears. Spinel looked to Steven with a weary smile. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” And he _laughed_. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever heard. He wasn’t laughing at her, she wasn’t even _doing_ anything. He was just… happy. His eyes shone with all the stars in the sky, and it was _brilliant_.

She started to cry again, and he hugged her again, and after insisting enough times that she was fine, he backed off again, running to the big, weird, wooden box.

“Good night, Spinel! See you tomorrow!”

Right then, Spinel wasn’t sure what ‘home’ meant to her.

But, maybe she could give this place a try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this was going to be the start of the next set of chapters, but it works better here. Answering a lot of questions in this one and looking forward to answering more. Next story, Spinel explores Beach City during Love Letters, and finds some good company. (This series isn't going episode by episode, but the immediate future is sorta necessary, you know?) Felt a little guilty for using basically Garnet's story from "Your Mother and Mine", but I think all the other differences made up for that. 
> 
> Edit: Next 'episode' is out.


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